From the creator of “The Vampire Diaries,” the CW’s new series “The Secret Circle” stars Britt Robertson (“Life Unexpected”) as a teenage girl who moves to a small town, only to discover that she descends from a line of witches. The show premieres on Thursday, September 15, and you can check out the trailer here:

Here are a few tidbits from Showtime and The CW‘s Television Critics Association sessions:

Mark your calendars: Kristen Bell will return to TV on January 8 on Showtime’s “House of Lies,” along with new seasons of “Shameless” and “Californication.” [TVGuide]

Scoop on many of Showtime’s returning series, and an “explanation” for “United States of Tara”‘s cancellation. [The Futon Critic]

Sarah Michelle Gellar, star of The CW’s “Ringer,” will return to her roots on “All My Children” before the series ends its run on ABC. However, she will not be playing her original role of Kendall on the soap. [eOnline]

The CW is looking for a new superhero show to replace “Smallville,” comedies, and procedurals. [The Hollywood Reporter]

Premiering on Tuesday, September 14, “Ringer” signals “Buffy” star Sarah Michelle Gellar’s return to the small screen. She stars in a dual role as twins, both of whom have some serious baggage. Despite the similarities to the premise of ABC Family’s “The Lying Game,” from what I’ve seen they seem like very different shows. Check it out:

While I’m counting down the days until fall, I’ve decided to detail the shows I’m looking forward to (and what I’m not) from each network. Disclaimer: I’ve only seen the trailers and am only going on my intuition as an avid TV viewer. The links will take you to the web site for each new show, click on them to watch trailers and see cast photos.

Returning Favorites:

“Gossip Girl” returns for a fifth season of more backstabbing and ulterior motives minus a few supporting characters. Will Blair Waldorf marry Prince Louis? Only time will tell. Mondays 8pm.

Of all the returning CW series, “90210” may be going through the most change. With the West Bev gang graduated from high school, we’ll see them transition to life in college. Can’t wait to see what the writers have in store. Tuesdays 8pm.

In the season finale of “The Vampire Diaries,” Jeremy began to understand the consequences of Bonnie bringing him back from the dead when his two dead girlfriends showed up. Why are they here? And what about that Damon-Elena kiss? Thursdays 8pm.

“Nikita” finished a buttkicking first season with a number of game-changers, including setting up a possible rivalry between Nikita and Alex. All I know is I want more screen time for Amanda (Melinda Clarke) this season. Fridays 8pm.

The sixth season ender of “Supernatural” found Castiel becoming a God, and not necessarily a good one. This show continually defies expectations, and it’ll be interesting to see what they come up with next. Fridays 9pm.

New Series:

The concept “Hart of Dixie” doesn’t seem entirely original, but that’s not a bad thing. The fish-out-of-water doctor, played by “The O.C.”‘s Rachel Bilson, will arrive in a small town filled with a number of eccentric characters. If this can capture the spirit of the old WB shows, I’ll be there. Mondays 9pm.

“Ringer” has an intriguing concept, with Sarah Michelle Gellar in dual roles, both of which have dark secrets. We still don’t know that much about how the show will work on a weekly basis, but more I’m just excited that Buffy is back on my TV. Tuesdays 9pm.

New reality series “H8R” follows people meeting the celebrity they cannot stand, which could be fun depending on the sort of stars they get. Wednesdays 9pm.

The CW has more coming in midseason, including the final 13-episode season of “One Tree Hill,” as well as reality TV entries “Remodeled, which revolves around a network of modeling agencies, and social experiment “The Frame.”